1. The Last Word: Map activity due tomorrow
FrontPage: What is the most important resource in the Middle East?
The Last Word: Map activity due tomorrow

3. The Middle East
Land and People

4. The Middle East General Facts
A.k.a., “Southwest Asia”
**Why “Middle East”?
Has been called the “crossroads of the world”
Connects three continents – which 3?
Often includes North Africa
Strong ties to MidEast
Contains 5 major geographic regions

5. The Middle East 5 Major Geographic Regions
The Northern Tier
The Arabian Peninsula
The Fertile Crescent
The Nile Valley
The Maghreb

6. The Northern Tier Includes the nations of Turkey and Iran
Region of mountains (Elburz and Zagros) and plateaus (Anatolian, Iranian)
Contains fertile soil and
can support farming
Has large population

7. The Arabian Peninsula

8. The Arabian Peninsula Plateau about 1/3rd the size of the US
Lack of water = small population
Life centered around oases – fertile desert areas
Major resource – oil
Has brought great wealth to certain nations
**Birthplace of Islam – most people in the Middle East are Muslims

9. The “Fertile Crescent”

10. The “Fertile Crescent”
Arc-shaped fertile region of the MidEast
Also known as “Mesopotamia” (the land between the rivers)
Flooding of the Tigris/Euphrates rivers carries fertile soil to nearby areas

11. Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Form the “Fertile Crescent”
One of world’s oldest civilizations emerged here
**Called the “birthplace of civilization”

12. The “Maghreb”

13. The Maghreb The “Western Isle” of Islamic civilization
Consists of the nations of Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya
Connected geographically and culturally with the Middle East – Islam and Arabic
Most people live along the Mediterranean coast

14. People of the Middle East
350 million people in 19 different countries
Arabs (those who speak Arabic) are the majority group
3 major religions:
Islam – most Arabs, many non-Arabs
Judaism – centered in Israel
Christianity – located in various nations

15. Questions for Discussion:
Why does the Middle East have strategic (economic and military) importance?
Which resource, oil or water, do you think is more important to people in the Middle East?